Inking mechanism for marking machines



June 14, 1938. F. KOHNLE INKING MECHANISM FOR MARKING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1937 June 14, 1938. F, N E 2,120,936

INKING MECHANISM FOR MARKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 26, 1937 2 Shets-Sheei;2

. INVENTOR g W/M.

/// v I ATTORNEYZ Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEINKING MECHANISM FOR MARKING MAC HINES Application August 26, 1937,Serial No. 161,013

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in inking mechanism for printingmachines of the character such as price-marking or ticket issuingmachines, and employs an endless inking ribbon having a portion loopedover or engaged about a platen or carrier to sustain a section thereoffor impressing type thereon for inking.

The platen is reciprocated for bringing the same beneath the type andintermittently advance or feed the ribbon over the platen.

An object of the invention is to provide a ribbon mechanism employing anendless ribbon for inkingtype', having a portion thereof engaged over aplaten,upon which the type is impressed for inking, and feeding oradvancing the ribbon for repeatedly changing its spread over the platen,thereby subjecting a different section thereof to the action of the typefor each inking operation and rendering available the full length of theribbon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ribbon mechanism forinking type, in the form of an endless belt engaged over a platen, andan idler sheave or wheel, together with a slack takeup, operative forcontrolling the tautnessof the ribbon and for translating the same.

Other objects and further advantages of the invention will be more fullyset forth in a tie scription of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a price markingmachine embodying the improved ribbon mechanism, employing an endlessribbon for inking the type used in printing the price marking data upontags which are applied to merchandise.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the portion of the machine shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the ribbon mechanism in a retracted orretreat position, away from the type.

Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to Figure 4, with the ribbonmechanism in a position for inking the type. I

Figure 6 is a side elevation with part of the ribbon mechanism insection.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the improvement and the driving means ofa marking machine for reciprocating the inking platen, at a startingportion for return stroke.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure '7 for a forward stroke.

For the purpose of exemplification, the ribbon mechanism is shown asincorporated in a marking machine of the type illustrated and describedin Letters Patent No. 1,484,136, issued February 19, 1924, to whichreference may be had for an understanding of the structure of thecomplete machine and such details thereof which are not herein includedand do not form a part of the present improvement.

In such type-or class of machines, the type or type block of theprinting mechanism is moved v for impressing the face of the type, afterit has been inked, upon the tag or work, resting upon a platen orsuitable support, to receive the impression. Heretofore, and asillustrated in the machine of the said patent, it has been customary toink the type by means of an ink carrying pad, moved beneath the type,the type being compressed upon the pad for an application of ink to theface thereof. An inking pad is objectionable owing to the care andfrequent attention required to maintain a proper ink supply, and thedependence of the operator to consistently obtain good impressions, agood print being quite essential to the price marking of merchandise toavoid error in reading.

In the present instance an endlessink carrying ribbon is employed,having a portion thereof looped about a carrier. The carrier is movableto present a section of the ribbon beneath the type in substantially thesame manner as instituted in the employment of a. pad adapting theribbon mechanism to be applied to existing machines in substitution forthe inking pad. The ribbon, with each reciprocation of the carrier, istranslated in stepped degrees for progressively presenting a differentsection thereof to the type in each inking operation. This subjects thefull length of the ribbon to use under uniform wear, allowing for anextended use before renewal of the ribbon is necessary.

It has been experienced that very sharp and clean impressions can bemore consistently made by impressing the type against the cushionsupported ribbon, each time taking a sufficient quantity of ink, than byany method of transferring the ink directly from the ribbon to the work,by impacting the type upon the ribbon interposed between the type andthe work. The latter method is severe on the type. surfaces andtherefore requires the use of a hard metal type, adding materially tothe cost, particularly when, as in marking machines, an abundant supplyof type is furnished with each machine, necessary for making thedifferent set-ups for marking a variety of merchandise, and especiallyfor four or more lines of printing.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a lever suitably actuated attimed intervals and oscillated in differential stroke degrees for movingits type carrying head 2 ina short stroke to impress the type upon asection of the inking ribbon stationed therebeneath, and subsequently,after a type inking operation and the ribbon mechanism has been moved toa retreat position from beneath the type carrying head, under anincreased length of stroke, to impress the inked type upon a tag or workstationed upon a stationary platen I.

The type 3, of movable bar form is compiled within a chase 4 removablymounted within the head 2, with the face ends of the type bars projectedslightly beyond the lower face of the chase.

The tags upon which the price marking data is printed are arranged inthe form of a strip, the strips being notched or perforated at spacedintervals, the degree of spacing being appropriate to the dimension ofthe tag. These spacings are utilized for advancing the strip by areciprocating feed finger 6. The feed finger 6 engages into an apertureor notch of the tag strip in a forward stroke of a carriage carrying thefinger, for advancing the strip end for stationing the foremost tag ofthe strip beneath the printing mechanism, and for severing the printedtag from the strip and dispensing the same.

The tag strip is suitably guided and tracked within the machine so thateach tag, as it assumes the foremost position of the strip, isappropriately stationed upon the platen 'I, preferably of a cushionmaterial such as rubber. For advancing the strip the feed finger ismounted upon a reciprocable carriage 5 and hingedly depends therefrom sothat it will connect with an aperture or notch in the strip in a forwardstroke of the carriage and will release therefrom during the returnstroke.

As disclosed in the aforesaid patent, the carriage moves in timedrelation to the printing or type carrying head to feed or advance thetag strip when the printing head is at rest in a retracted position, andto dwell at the end of its forward stroke for a type inking interval.

In the present instance, the ribbon mechanism is shown as applied to atype of marking machine as disclosed in the aforesaid patent, whichserves for several different types of tag strips and which may beclassified as a duplex machine employing a pair of carriages translatingin directions at right angles to one another. Both are similar inprinciple of construction and operation, each carrying strip feedfingers 6, as illustrated in Figure 2, although only one of thecarriages is employed for the ribbon mechanism as the position of theprinting head serves for all of the tags operated upon within themachine, irrespective of which carriage is employed for feeding thetickets.

The carriage 5, at its forward end, is provided with a lateral extensionor inking platen la, bridging one of the track-ways for the tag stripsand platen l, which is common to both track-ways when the carriage is atthe limit of its forward stroke. The outer edge of the extension isfianged downwardly, as at 8, for sliding and resting upon a stationaryledge 9, as a part of the table or bracket iii of the machine frame,which supports the platen l. The lateral extension or platen la, uponits upper side, has a cushion or pad ll fixed thereon to provide ayielding platform, over which a section of the endless ribbon l2 spreadsand upon which the type is depressed for an application of ink.

In Figure 4 the carriage is illustrated in a retracted position so thatits ribbon carrying extension, with its spread of ribbon, is clear ofthe platen to allow the type head to be moved downwardly and upon thetag or work upon the platen. In Figure 5 the carriage is in its foremostposi tion, with the ribbon carrying extension rigidly supported for atype inking operation.

The endless ribbon l2 extends at an angle slightly upwardly from theplane of the reciprocable inking platen la about which it is looped, andis engaged over a sheave l3, loosely journalled upon a stud M. The studM has one end fixed within a hub of a bracket l5 mounted upon a rigidsupport or the frame of the machine.

The sheave is encased by a drum I6, which may be termed a take-up, openat one side or face, and has its opposite side provided with a hub I!for journalling the drum upon the stud M. The portion of the stud withinthe hub of the drum is annularly channeled or recessed to provide acircumferential space for a spring l8, coiled about the stud with oneend thereof fixed to the stud. The opposite end of the spring is bent toextend into a slit IS in the end of the hub ll for connecting the springto the drum and automatically rotating the same in a forward orclockwise direction when released by a slackening of the endless ribbonbetween the sheave and inking platen IT.

The runs of the ribbon, as they leave the sheave, pass through anopening 20 in the periphery of the drum or take-up with the upper run 2!of the ribbon traversing an edge 22 formed by the opening 20.

The carriage is provided with a laterally extended guide rod 23extending over the ribbon for guiding and maintaining a section thereofin a horizontal plane over the inking platen to spread or cover thesame. In the forward stroke of the inking platen 1a the ribbon is drawnforwardly, rotating the sheave i 3 and the take-up IS in a reverse orcounter-clockwise direction. The sheave is rotated through the surfacecontact of the ribbon upon the rim thereof while the take-up i6 isrotated in a corresponding direction with the sheave by the pull of theupper run of the endless ribbon through its loop-like connection aboutthe transverse edge thereof. A reverse stroke of the inking platenslackens the ribbon, and the slack as developed is taken up by thetake-up l3 rotating in a forward or clockwise direction under thetension of the spring. This action causes a reverse pull on the upperrun of the endless ribbon, feeding or translating the entire length ofribbon, presenting a new section of the ribbon over the inking platen.

During the period of the forward movement or stroke of the platen anduntil it commences to recede, the ribbon is held tautly over the platenunder the tension applied thereon by the oscillatable take-up I6. Duringthe return stroke of the platen the ribbon is slackened and drapes overthe platen, thereby permitting it to be easily pulled over the forwardedge thereof by the take-up l6, which imposes a rearward pull upon theupper stretch or run of the ribbon.

The sheave, as an idler being loosely journalled is free to rotate ineither direction, its direction of rotation is governed by the directionof ribbon pull so that the action of the device is very smooth andrequires very little power to produce a beltlike creep or ribbon feed,for successively bringing different sections thereof over the platenupon each return stroke of the platen. By this method the ribbon isintermittently advanced from one direction so that its wear is uniformfor its full length.

The ribbon can be easily replaced by slipping it sidewise from thesheave and inking platen, and an interchange can be made in considerablyless time than it would require to ink-replenish a pad.

The inking platen is slightly inclined so that the ribbon section spreadthereover is in parallelism with the face of the type when the headmoves downwardly for impressing the type upon the ribbon. The typeengages the ribbon under pressure to transfer a desired amount of inkonto its face, for making a clean, sharp print when the type issubsequently impressed upon the work.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for inking type, comprising, an endless ink impregnatedribbon, a reciprocable platen and a sheave relatively arranged tosustain the ribbon and be girdled thereby for spreading a sectionthereof over the platen, and a take-up contacting the ribbon totensionthe same and effect a translation thereof during a, reciprocating strokeof the platen.

2. A device for inking type, comprising, an endless ink impregnatedribbon, a reciprocable platen and an idler sheave relatively arranged tosustain the ribbon and be girdled thereby for spreading a sectionthereof over the platen, and a takeup oscillatable in an arc concentricwith the sheave and contacting the ribbon to'tension the same and effecttranslation thereof during a reciprocating stroke of the platen.

3. A device for inking type, comprising, an endless ink impregnatedribbon, a reciprocable platen and a loosely journalled sheave relativelyarranged to sustain the ribbon and be girdled thereby for spreading asection thereof over the platen, and a rotatable take-up coaxial withand telescoping the sheave, having an edge contacting the ribbon totension the same and effect translation thereof during a reciprocatingstroke of the platen.

4. A device for inking type, comprising, an endless ink impregnatedribbon, a reciprocable platen and a sheave relatively arranged tosustain the ribbon and be girdle-d thereby for spreading a sectionthereof over the platen, and a take-up journalled coaxially with thesheave contacting the ribbon to tension the same and effect translationthereof during a reciprocating stroke of the platen 5. A device forinking type, comprising, an endless ink impregnated ribbon, a,reciprocable platen and an idler sheave relatively arranged to sustainthe ribbon and be girdled thereby for spreading a section thereof overthe writing platen, and a take-up movable in an .arc about the sheavefor contacting the ribbon to tension the same and effect translationthereof during a reciprocating stroke of the platen.

6. A device for-inking type, comprising, an endless ink impregnatedribbon, a reciprocable platen and a loosely journalled sheave relativelyarranged to sustain the ribbon and be girdled thereby for spreading asection thereof over the writing platen, and a rotatable take-upencasing the sheave, apertured for passing the stitches of the ribbonleading to the platen and providing an edge contacting the ribbon totension the same and effect translation thereof during a reciprocatingstroke of the platen.

FREDERICK KOHNLE.

